The Sun

Antics

I walked down the dreary hall to the elevator, pressed the down button and waited. “This part of the hospital could really use an overhaul,” I muttered to myself. It was the oldest part and besides being dark and gloomy it was always colder than the rest of the building. It housed the outpatient and mental health clinics. I was at a disadvantage though because being an in-patient meant that I didn’t have a coat. Or maybe it was the fact that even though my vision was rapidly improving I still couldn’t see any color. I was also feeling pretty antsy after my psychiatry appointment.  Like I had something to do but couldn’t remember what it was. Go figure!

Dr. Thompson was very sure that my amnesia was only temporary. We had already had several sessions in which lots of small details had come back. In fact, I was remembering more and more every day. Nothing of a useful nature though, unless you consider knowing that you like cornflakes important. I sighed deeply. 

The elevator dinged as the doors slid open. Jackson stood inside with his head back and his eyes closed. He lowered his head, saw me and dragged me in with him. He pressed the close button and grinned. His eyes were sparkling and he defiantly looked up to something. He put his arms around me and pulled me close. “Guess what?” He lifted me slightly, and kissed me hard, turning in a slow circle as he did. Lowering me to the ground he walked us into the corner.  I closed my eyes and tried to ignore the fluttering his touch sent through me. He leaned close and pressed my back up to the wall. Really this man is too attractive for his own good I thought to myself. I took a deep breath and smiled. He seemed so excited that I couldn’t help but be drawn in by it.

“What,”  I asked a little breathlessly.  He leaned closer and whispered in my ear. The fluttering kicked into high gear as the combination of his deep voice and warm breath tickled my senses. Desire shot right through me and I struggled to hang on to a coherent thought. My hands had found their way to his shoulders and held on tight. I opened my eyes just in time to catch his grin.

“Well?” He asked expectantly. I couldn’t say anything. I had not heard much of what he had said and I was still lost in my euphoria. 

“Do you think you’d like that Cuz?”  I felt a blush creep into my cheeks as I just stood there in a daze. I felt totally swamped with emotion. His grin slowly faltered as my silence continued. Concern filled his voice.

“Hey, are you okay?”  I stammered a bit and tried again.

“I.. I.. I think so.” My voice sounded flustered even to my own ears. 

He lowered his forehead onto mine, his hands on my waist. The gentle pressure kept our bodies touching from the waist all the way down. It was very distracting but only until his eyebrows creased, and his eyes looked steady into mine.

“Don’t you want to stay with me?” He asked.

My breath caught at the insecurity I heard in his voice. “Jackson I think you should repeat that again. You’ve obviously asked me something and I’m not sure what you said.”

His smile was very sexy and relieved all at once. “They are letting you leave today as long as you have a place to go and someone to stay with you. I figure that I will suffice on both counts as long as you’ll have me. What do you say?” 

I smiled. “Yes, yes, yes!”

It was decided that I would stay in the city with Jackson at his place since I still had no clue who I was and where I lived. It would make finding out who I was easier and cut out the long travel time of commuting back and forth to the cabin.

The good Doc had voiced concerns about discharging me without any memory of what had happened but I pointed out that since I may never remember I could be there for a while. He readily admitted the logic in that and agreed to release me into Jackson's care with a stern warning to keep my appointments with the psychiatrist.

“They are very important little lady. Especially if you start to remember something.”

Funny he should say that. After two weeks I was finally being released from the hospital, as soon as Ross came to discharge me. My stay had been long and threatened to be boring. By the second night, I had been so bored I thought for sure that I would expire on the spot! Jackson had done his best to stave off the ennui but nothing short of a miracle could liven up this place. One day had seemed like forty.

I must admit that everyone had been really kind to me. Even the orderly Laurence from the first day had come to visit on his off shift. It wasn’t until Jackson had decided to turn the ward into a circus with his charming antics that my restlessness lifted.

We’d done everything from play cards to race through the paper to see who could read it the fastest! Afterwards, we had run out of ideas. We sat around talking for a while, him lying on the bed and me sitting in the visitor’s chair (I thought a change of perspective might help). Suddenly he flung a peanut at me in mock anger to some sarcastic remark I had made. Shocked I flung one right back along with a caustic remark about his maturity. That started a war!

A whole lot of laughing and shouting had the curious staff peeking to see what was going on. The Nurse made no comment as she came into my room. She just shooed me to bed, handed Jackson the broom with a pointed look at the floor and left. He scowled at my triumphant laugh and threw another peanut at me.

That night he snuck in a portable DVD player and a couple of new releases. It was much later than visiting hours allowed so Jackson hid in the bed with me. The first bed check had us busted. Inviting everyone to join us, a diversion appreciated by even the nurses, skirted our punishment! They’d shuffled every patient from at least six rooms and had crammed them into my private quarters for the cinematic treat. We had to steal the television out of the Doctors Lounge along with the microwave, which had resulted in the entire ward reeking of popcorn for hours. Putting it back had proven much more difficult and had resulted in fits of giggles from the general direction of the Nurse's Station. Several stern-faced, tight-lipped Doctors had been diverted all over the hospital. We even snuck out of the hospital on a covert mission for junk food and decent coffee. It was wonderful!

Later in the week, he’d managed to talk Children’s into bringing up Carley for a cheer-up visit. She was the little girl from the rescue mission and she and her parents had loved it. I had to. Ross had joined them and he and Jackson put on quite a show.  Jackson juggled grapes started a peanut butter fight and sang silly ditties with Ross. Then we had a wheelchair race. Ross and Carley against Jackson and I. Carley and I sat on laps and shouted directions. Light-hearted banter and insults flung around as Ross’ team won by a clear meter. The antics had put smiles on everyone’s faces. Even the Staff Nurse tsked her way down the hall, hiding a smile the whole way! It was the most fun I had had in…well I couldn’t remember how long! ❤️